Apple Cooperates with Pegatron to Make iPad 3 and iPad 4 - Real Deal or Rumor?

Even before the rumor mills have stopped buzzing about iPad 3, words about its successor iPad 4 are beginning to surface.

The Taiwan-base tech Web site DigiTimes reported on Apple's purported next tablets on Tuesday.

According to the report, the tech giant will launch the iPad 3 in March and iPad 4 in October. Citing from the sources of the upstream supply chain, Pegatron Technology has already got some orders of the iPad 3 and will increase its orders significantly for the iPad 4 with an initial volume of about 7-10 million units.

Purportedly Apple will change its outsourcing strategy - Pegatron will focus on iPad production first and the iPhone as secondary in 2013, whereas Foxconn will do the opposite. The sources also revealed that the new strategy aims to decrease risk and increase the quality of its products.

Pegatron, a Taiwan-based DMS (design and manufacturing service) Original Equipment Manufacturer company, manufactures mainly computing, communications and consumer electronics for branded vendors. Moreover, the company is also engaged in the development, design and manufacturing of computer peripherals and components.

Recently, Apple had visited Pegatron's plants in China several times to confirm the company's production capability for iPads, the sources indicated.

However, many tech experts and industry analysts doubt about the credibility of the report as DigiTimes has a debatable track record for accuracy.

CNet believed it's unlikely that Apple with release both iPad 3 and iPad 4 this year. And, even if it does so, it will probably be the dubbed iPad 2S with upgraded processor, more storage capacity, and perhaps more RAM. A better camera package and an improved Siri will also be packed into the device. Whereas iPad 4, might also be dubbed as iPad 3 followed iPad 2S, which will launch in October, possibly with some radical redesign.

BGR also quoted from John Gruber of Daring Fireball last week, saying the statement that iPad 3 will be released in March is completely accurate. However, the report on iPad 4 is completely made-up nonsense.